Building construction.



G. A.'LEONARD.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5; I915.

1,21 1,725. Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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GEORGE A. LEONARD, 0F SHEFFIELD, IOWA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed April 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sheffield, in the county of Franklin and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Building Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in building construction and more particularly that part of a building which comprises a series of door frames, designed to form a substantially continuous opening from the top and bottom of a building, and means for connecting said door frames together, and with the adjacent building blocks.

My object is to provide door frames of simple, durable, inexpensive construction, and adapted to be readily and easily connected with each other to form a strong and unitary construction from the bottom to the top of a building, and also to provide means whereby the adjacent building blocks may be readily and easily connected in a permanent manner with these door frames; whereby a series of these door frames may be connected together and placed in position to thereby form guides and supports for the adjacent building blocks, and means for supporting the doors themselves; whereby these door frames may be employed by unskilled workmen in buildings erected by them.

My invention consists in the construction of the door frames proper, and the arrangement and building thereof with the adjacent parts of a building structure, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a se ries of my improved door frames, and part of a complete structure connected therewith. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral to indicate a base or support for a building structure, which may be made of concrete.

My improved door frames each comprise a substantially rectangular frame having a top member 11, sides 13 and a bottom member, the top and bottom surfaces of said top and bottom members being flat. The sides Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 191?.

Serial No. 19,388.

are provided on their outer surface with the outwardly projected ribs 14. On the interior of the frame, on the top, bottom and sides, is an inwardly extended rib 15, provided with a pair of lugs 16 arranged on opposite sides of the frame and designed to serve as means to which the door may be secured by rods or the like. The ribs 15 on each side of the frame are also provided with inwardly extending lugs 17 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, preferably arranged just above the respective lugs 16. It will be noted that the lugs 17 project from the respective ribs 15 toward the opposite ribs 15 and have the form of an upwardly and inwardly projecting tongue with their inner edges bevelcd or curved in their upper surfaces. The lugs 16 and 17 are so arranged that rods or the like, forming part of the door hanging mechanism, may be pivoted to the respective lugs 16, and may be swung upwardly from dependent position past the lugs 17, and thereafter permitted to swing outwardly for resting upon the upper portion thereof. Between the ribs 15 and the inner surface of the door frame, are the inclined shoulders 18, against which the beveled doors may rest.

The building blocks to be used in connection with my improved building construction, are indicated by the reference numeral 19, and are preferably provided with reinforcing rods 20 embedded therein, and provided with laterally extending hooks 21 at their ends. Hooks 22 are extended through the sides of the door frame to engage the hooks 21, and they are provided with nuts 23 to bind the said hooks together to hold the blocks firmly against the door frame. Bolts 22 are provided for clamping together the upper and lower edges of two adjacent door frames.

In practice, I proceed to construct a building by the use of my improved door frames, by first providing a substantial base or foundation and then placing a door frame thereon in proper position. After this has been done, then unskilled workman can readily and easily place the building blocks on the foundation, and connect them to the door frame by means of the bolts and hooks provided. As the building proceeds additional door frames are bolted to the lower one, and this is continued until the building has reached the height desired.

These door frames, by being made strong and durable of themselves furnish an upright column, which may very easily be set straight and vertical, so that the door frames form a guide by which the building blocks may be guided and held. Furthermore each door frame is a unit in itself and has first, a means for connecting it either to the base or to the door frames above and below it; second, it is adapted to receive, guide and support the building blocks, and third, it is provided with means for supportingand cooperating with a door. 7

I have caused a large number of buildings, particularly silos, to be erected by the use of these door frames, and have demonstrated that unskilled workmen may readily, quickly and easily place the door frames in proper position, and then apply the building blocks in such a manner as to produce a finished building or structure built true and straight because of the guide and support furnished by the door frames.

I claim asimy invention- In a building structure, a continuous door frame comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular frame members superposed one above the other in vertical succession, the upper and lower surfaces of successive sections being adapted to fit together, each frame section having at its sides inwardly extending ribs, each side rib being provided With a lug and With a second lug located above the first lug extending inwardly and upwardly from the rib.

February 22, 1915, Des Moines, Iowa.

GEORGE A. LEONARD.

WVitnesses:

A. SHERMAN, J. MAHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington; D. G. i 

